Do You Get What You Pay For?
You will probably agree with the experts that an air audit is an essential step in optimizing your compressed air system’s performance. While factory-trained specialists carry out the audit itself, you’ll need to stay attentive to make certain you get what you pay for.
Gardner Denver put together an educational white paper outlining the four key areas that a successful and meaningful air audit should absolutely focus on:
• Logging Real Data
• System Analysis
• Analyzing the Data
• Modeling
Download the Air Audit white paper to make sure you
know what needs your attention when you request
your next check!
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Case Study
SITE: Watercrest of Lake Nona
INSTALLER: Zabatt Power Systems
SYSTEM OVERVIEW: Aksa 300kw, Level 1 aluminum enclosure, 2,200 gal/96 hr diesel tank, 3000 amp ASCO transfer switch
STORY: Zabatt was selected to provide a turnkey solution for backup emergency power. The local municipality required some changes to the site for permitting, and Zabatt was able to present multiple options to the owner to determine the most cost-effective solutions. One of the benefits of working directly with Zabatt on your turn-key needs is that we will work directly with you on all facets of the project to help control costs and stay on schedule. Zabatt provides everything including:
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design
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permitting
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installation
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start up & testing
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warranty on regular maintenance services
With over 60 trained technicians on staff servicing over 5,000 generators annually, Zabatt has the capabilities to make your project a success.
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Power Matters to Memory Care Facilities
According to the Alzheimer’s Association, about every minute, someone in the United States develops Alzheimer’s disease. The association said by 2050, someone will develop dementia from the illness every 33 seconds. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Alzheimer’s is the most common cause of dementia in the United States and the sixth-leading cause of death. The disease is most common among the older population and about one in 10 seniors currently have dementia from Alzheimer’s disease. To help the population affected by this disease in Florida, CERTUS Senior Living is constructing new memory care facilities across the state.
“We felt like the memory care market was under served,” said Glen Pawlowski, chief executive officer, CERTUS. “It seemed like there were people, suffering from dementia, that weren’t doing well and we saw the need to help fill that void.”
The latest facility to open is CERTUS Premier Memory Care Living in Orange City. The building is 43,000 square feet, with 64 private bedroom suites. CERTUS is known for their unique approach to community design and they focus on building communities that are unique to the industry and complements the very best care, engagement and safety for both residents and associates.
“Our goal is to make every day a good day,” said Pawlowski. “We want to create the best environment possible by providing a highly trained staff who can assist the residents in any way in day-to-day tasks. If we are going to provide a service, we are going to be completely immersed and all in.”
Designing an Assisted Living Facility (ALF) in Florida requires extra considerations to keep residents safe. In the case of an emergency, all facilities must have ample resources, including a generator, for climate control. “In the event of a hurricane or storm, we wanted to shelter in place,” said Pawlowski. “The last thing we want to do is evacuate and cause undue stress to our residents. In the past, storms have knocked out power for days and we need to be able to provide services requiring power continuously. Securing a generator was always a priority.”
When the power is out for a prolonged period, several things can happen;
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Food spoils
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Air conditioning goes out
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Medical devices fail
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Security systems go down
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Drinking water becomes scarce
Having a generator in place can prevent these from happening. Generators can provide backup power to the entire building, so if the power goes out, all functions throughout the building will remain operational. Life safety systems are highly important to an ALF, and so are climate control systems, an operational kitchen, and anywhere residents are. Being a memory care facility, keeping security systems running was a big concern for CERTUS.
According to the Alzheimer’s association, six in ten people with dementia will wander. A person with Alzheimer’s disease may not remember their name and they may become disoriented, even in familiar places. “Some of our residents are a flight risk,” said Pawlowski. “Their safety would be in jeopardy if the power went out.” CERTUS has devices that signal when a door or window is opened. If the power were to go out, staff would not be alerted if a resident had left the building.
To protect residents, CERTUS installed a Generac 390 kW Modular Power System (MPS). The MPS solution consisted of three paralleled 130 kW natural gas generators. “By getting three smaller units in a series, we were guaranteed to have uninterrupted service,” said Pawlowski. He said even in the event two units are offline for maintenance, life safety systems will still be supported.
Pawlowski said his emergency power solution is something he can depend on. “Our Generac generators do their job and we do not have to think about it. That is all I could have hoped for in a solution.”
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Specifying Outdoor Enclosures
Most large industrial and commercial applications have unique needs requiring custom specifications. In this article, we will limit the scope of our discussion to outdoor generator enclosures. There are several factors that would determine the right type of enclosure that would fit the specific needs of a customer. Some contractors and engineers may prefer indoor generator installation that are shielded from the environment, however, that option is not always available which drives the generator installation outdoors in a purpose designed enclosure.
For the outdoor applications that require a generator set to be installed in an enclosure, the overall cost and ease of installation will depend on the location of the system. With several choices for enclosures for your generator, selecting the right one can be a daunting task.
“There are many things to consider while selecting the right enclosure that best fit the customer’s needs,” said Muhammad Armaghan, product manager, Generac Industrial Power. “Some of the most important parameters to consider include space availability, local sound attenuation requirements and local weather requirements.” He said several types of enclosures exist so customers can have complete customization for their application.
The first thing Armaghan said needs to be considered is space availability. Knowing the space where the generator is located will help determine the size and type of enclosure. A walk-in enclosure is a great option if you have the space. It often includes sound attenuation, as well as space for power switching and monitoring equipment, lighting, fuel tanks and other equipment. They can also accommodate insulating and heating capability. Local inspection officials may treat walk-in enclosures as a building.
“A person can easily walk around inside the walk-in type enclosure,” said Armaghan. “This type of enclosure is easily serviceable, but this type of enclosure can be expensive and can take up a lot of space.” If space is limited, this type of enclosure may not be best for your project.
Another parameter to consider is local weather conditions. Weather-protective enclosures protect the gen-set from the elements. They do not retain heat or hold temperatures above ambient in cold weather or provide cooling beyond the ventilation and airflow offered by incorporated louvers or perforated panels. Sound attenuation is minimal and access panels or doors are required for maintenance and inspections.
“The advantage of a weather protected enclosure is that it keeps the generator safe from weather elements like sunlight, rain, snow, high winds and so on,” said Armaghan. He said generators with factory, weatherproofed enclosures are specifically engineered for outdoor performance and Generac or another manufacturer has already tested and proven the reliability of the enclosure and unit. The enclosure is designed to minimize sound and vibration, while maximizing airflow.
While it is true that extreme weather can conceivably approach from any direction, for most of the country it tends to follow regular patterns. “Not only does a properly designed physical barrier around the generator set provide extra protection against the weather elements,” said Armaghan. “But in most instances it also provides sound attenuation. Placing a natural or physical barrier such as a hillside between typical weather patterns and the generator can help prevent interruption before the gen-set is able to respond to the facility’s needs.”
Before making the purchase, Armaghan said another parameter to consider is the local requirements. For instance if the generator is installed close to a hospital, senior assisted living facility or a residential area, the generator cannot exceed a certain sound decibel emission level. Sound-attenuating enclosures are specified when noise reduction is needed to meet local ordinances. These enclosures are generally larger and more costly than strictly weather-protective enclosures due to the design features required to reduce generator set noise.
“A noise cancelling enclosure provides additional damping of the sound emitted by the generator while in running condition,” said Armaghan. While local codes and zoning laws often require nominal noise reduction strategies, end users are currently driving the demand for quieter gen-set installations. The cost to do so is generally quite low, and manufacturers have made the job easier by making engines that run quieter and with less vibration.
Noise zoning ordinances typically set noise limits based on what can be measured at the property line. Since sound diminishes as the square of the distance from the source, simply increasing the distance from the property line may be enough to meet local regulations. Municipal codes should be reviewed and assessed to make sure that their requirements are achievable. A common requirement is an upper limit of 70 dB during the day. The noise floor due to human activity (traffic, etc.) can easily bring the ambient conditions above 55 to 60 db during the daytime. Certain activities such as yard work will exceed such ordinances on a regular basis.
With standby and backup power generators there is no one size fits all solution. For outdoor applications, the key factors to consider are available space, weather patterns and sound considerations. There are pros and cons to outdoor generator placements with many factors needing to be taken into account. Federal, state and local codes must also be considered. The best solution is your local generator distributor. Zabatt Power Systems is an expert when it comes to providing a completed generator installation, start up and serviceability solution. We can provide a complete generation solution starting from selecting the right size, fuel type, enclosure type and installation location. Contact us with any questions.